Dry mop cleaning device



Aug. 9, 1955 M. M. LUKENs DRY MOP CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1951 Il I .vlzlll ..../l Il r United States Patent O DRY MOP CLEANING DEVICE Maude M. Lukens, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 19, 1951, Serial No. 206,887

2 Claims. (Cl. 15--257) This invention relates to vacuum operated dust extracting cleaning devices, and particularly to devices for cleaning dry mops such as dust mops or the like.

Dry mops or dust mops are frequently used to gather and remove dust from exposed or uncarpeted oor areas and other dust collecting surfaces, after which the dust mop must be cleaned. Cleaning can be accomplished by merely shaking the dust mop, but this manner of cleaning is objectionable in apartments and during in clement Weather. More speccally, if the dust mop is cleaned by shaking from a window or door the dirt may fall or be blown into a neighbors residence in the case of apartment dwellers. If the weather is inclement, shaking the dust mop outdoors may be injurious to the mop and uncomfortable to the user.

Various types of apparatus have been devised heretofore to permit cleaning of the mop within the room being cleaned or within the apartment. These types of apparatus have been generally unsatisfactory in that they require a large amount of storage space when not in use, or are awkward in use, or do not adequately clean the dust mop.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for cleaning dust mops; more specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a device of the type described which can be utilized with commercial types of vacuum cleaners used in the home whereby to permit the dust mop to be cleaned within the rooms of the home.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dust mop cleaning device of the type described which can be easily and readily collapsed and folded to a small package for storage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved dust mop cleaner of the type described which cleans the dust mop more effectively, the device being self-supporting in use although collapsible when not in use and permitting violent agitation of the dust mop within the cleaning device during the cleaning operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for attaching a cleaning device of the type described to commercial forms of vacuum cleaners.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dust mop cleaning device of the type described which is simple and economical in construction, having a construction such that the cleaning device collects a minimum amount of dirt thereby aiding in maintaining the storage space for the cleaning device in a clean condition.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals have been used to indicate like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a form of the invention showing a structure for effecting communication between the cleaning device and the upright type of vacuum cleaner;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the cleaning device and portions of the vacuum cleaner in crosssection; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial view in vertical section showing the construction of the attachment member of the cleaning device shown in Figs. l and 2.

There is shown in Figs. l through 3 a form of the cleaning device for use with an upright type of vacuum cleaner. The cleaning device generally designated by the numeral 72 includes a substantially conoidal body portion 74 of foldable collapsible material and a connecting portion generally designated by the numeral 76. To the left hand end of the body portion 74, as viewed in Fig. 2, there is attached a ring-like reinforcing rib 78. A second rib is attached intermediate the ends of the body portion 74, the diameter of rib 80 being slightly less than the diameter of rib 78. The other end of the body portion "i4 is iixedly attached to the connecting portion 76. The ribs serve to hold the flexible bag-like body portion open to permit insertion of a mop 44 therein. It has been found that by spacing the ribs a distance which is less than their diameters, the ribs tend to remain in the position shown leaving the operator free to shake the mop.

Connecting portion 76 is generally rectangular as viewed from above but is triangularas viewed in cross section (see Fig. 2) and includes an upper wall 82, a lower wall 84, and a pair of end walls S6. The upper wall 82 and the lower wall 84 converge and are joined along one edge as at 88 and form with the side walls 86 a rectangular opening which connects with one end of the body portion 74. An elongated aperture 90 is formed in the upper wall 82, the Width and length of aperture 90 being slightly less than the length and width of the opening in the intake 26 of the vacuum cleaner 22.

In operation the connecting portion 76 is placed upon the oor and the reinforcing rib 78 is pulled away from the connecting portion 76 until the body portion 74 is in the position shown in Figs. l and 2. The upper surface of wall 82 is provided with a resilient pad 92 preferably formed of felt or rubber. The opening in the intake 26 of vacuum cleaner 22 is placed upon the pad 92 in the position shown in Figs. l and 2 so that the opening in intake 26 corresponds with and covers the opening 90. The resilient pad 92 insures good contact to improve the seal between the connecting portion 76 and the intake 26 and to aid in retaining the vacuum cleaner 22 in operative position. The cleaner 22 is then set into operation and the fan 24 creates a stream of air indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, This stream of air flows from the opening in body portion 74 into the connecting portion 76, up through opening 9i) past fan 24 and into the filtering bag 23. The mop 44 is shaken Within the body portion 74 to loosen the dirt and allow it to be carried by the stream of air into the cleaner 22.

lt will be seen that there has been provided a cleaning device which fullls all of the above objects. More specifically, there has been provided a cleaning device which can be placed in operative position on any level surface by a simple unfolding movement. The cleaning device is self-supporting in operative position and needs no additional structure to hold it in the open and operating position. By forming the cleaning device of materials having smooth surfaces such as plastic or plastic impregnated cloth, substantially no dirt or dust is c01- lected on the inner walls of the cleaning device. A mop can be vigorously shaken within the cleaning device without depositing any dirt on the oor or other surface supporting the cleaning device to provide more eifectively to clean the mop and yet without depositing any dirt on the supporting surface. After use the cleaning device can be folded into a very compact package for storage,

all'portions of the package being clean including those which` form` theinnepwalls ofI the4 device'v during.- use.`

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown for purposesy of.. illustration it is to be understood thatf'variouschanges and' modifications can be madeltherein without departing from the spirit and scopefof the invention; Accordingly-the invention is to be limitedx only;Y asset` forthf inthe: following y claims.`

articles havingidirt adhering theretoecornprising a tubularl second reinforcingribattaehed tosaid body at a point spaced away from the firstrib', and-a hollow box memberf attach'edtov thee otherv end of said body,v said box membery havingv an openingtherein-communicating with said-"body, saidboxmernberhaving-awall with a second.

openingV therein adapted'- to be associatedl with the vacuumintake ofa vacuumcleaner, and aresilient padxed onv said wall' and surrounding said second opening for engagementilwiththe vacuum intake when the intake isheld against said wall to improve the connection between theV` vacuum intakel and the cleaning device.

21.*- Ay devicefor use with a vacuum" cleaner to cleanv articles-having'dirt adheringthereto, comprising an elongatedtubularibodyadapted to be laid out on a generally ilexiblematerial, afplurality-.oseparate annularareinforceing ribs, said ribs being disposed transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis of said body and spaced along the longitudinal axis of the body, the distance between adjacent ribs being less than the diameter of the ribs, one of said ribs being disposed adjacent one end of said body to hold saidone; end open to receive the article to be cleaned, and azhyo'llow boxh member attached to the other^endA OfJSaid-body, saidboxmember having an opening therein,oornmunicatingh'withlthe;space within said' body,` said boxA member having a lower wall adaptedto reston: said generally horizontalfsupportsurface, and an lippen wall4 inclinedabanacute angle relative to said lowert wall, 'said upper wallhaving an opening therein adapted to be associated with the vacuum intake of a vacuum cleaner, and a resilient pad surrounding said last mentioned opening to improve the connection between the. vacuum intake 'andi the!y cleaning. device.

References Citeds. in` theme of this'c patent UNITED sinfxrias-v PATBNrs 

